Archaeology and Heritage Assistant – HMS Victory

Archaeology and Heritage Assistant – HMS Victory

Salary (Grade 4): £26,364 - £27,437 per annum (dependent upon experience)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (full-time)

Contract – 18-month Fixed Term Contract

Location: National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth with the opportunity to adopt hybrid working (working a combination of onsite and from home – dependent on work pattern and business need)


The National Museum of the Royal Navy was established in 2008 with the aim of preserving and presenting the history of the Royal Navy. The Museum’s vision is to be the world’s most inspiring Naval Museum offering opportunities for learning, enjoyment, and engagement with the story of the Royal Navy and its impact in shaping the modern world.

We are recruiting a Archaeology and Heritage Assistant on an 18-month fixed term contract to join our Conservation Team, working on HMS Victory, as part of the Heritage and Strategic Programmes Directorate.

The Archaeology and Heritage Assistant will be joining the team at an exciting stage in the progress of the conservation of HMS Victory, as we embark on a twelve-year program of works to stabilize and preserve the ship. The work involves organizing the documents that form Victory’s project records, giving the opportunity to the successful candidate of becoming knowledgeable on the history of the ship and the ship’s documentation dating from the 1920s onwards. Teamwork is a key part of this role to ensure that best practice is applied to all our work.

The post can have capability for hybrid working, after an initial period of familiarization with the records and working with the team at Portsmouth but is unlikely to be less than three days a week on site in Portsmouth and two days at home. No records must leave site.

Key Opportunities

• Opportunity to work with the primary and secondary sources of an internationally renowned naval heritage asset and site.
• Be a key member of the team contributing to improve and develop the conservation approach to HMS Victory.
• Opportunity to assist the team with historical research as necessary.
• Work closely with colleagues in the conservation and curatorial teams, learning processes from them.

Knowledge/Experience

• Relevant employment and/or voluntary experience in searching historic records in archive collection repositories such as libraries and record offices.
• Experience of archaeological recording and research would be beneficial.
• Knowledge of archiving computer packages would be desirable, but training will be provided.
• The ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Excellent communication skills and attention to detail
• Ability to plan and organise your work and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment.


We Provide:

• The opportunity to be part of a friendly and diverse workplace within a unique heritage environment.
• Group pension plan with Royal London (6% employer contributions, 2% employee contributions and death in service benefit).
• Free onsite parking, after obtaining a Base Pass.
• 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), increasing to 30 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) after 5 years’ service (pro-rata for part-time employees).
• Occupational sick pay.
• Occupational paternity, maternity, adoption and shared parental pay.
• Flexible working.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Free admission to other museums and attractions within the reciprocal agreement.
• Discounts at our shops and cafes.
• Free and discounted tickets for family and friends.

This post requires a DBS check as a requirement of working on the naval base. This is not a UK sponsored visa role; therefore, candidates must have the right to work in the UK to apply for this role.


For further details, or an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact Rosemary Thornber, Principal Heritage Advisor - HMS Victory at [email protected]

Applicants are asked to apply via https://jobs.nmrn.org.uk/ no later than midnight, Sunday 11 August 2024. We will be conducting interviews at the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard on Thursday 22 August 2024.

If you require reasonable adjustments to be made to the application process because of a disability, please contact the People team on [email protected] for support.

Museum Website: https://jobs.nmrn.org.uk/